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Her Way By Yseult, AKA Freyssinet
Year 2645, Paris, earth; University Paris VI medicine faculty. "And now, Elianor, what are you planning after graduation?" Professor Mayherden asked, leaning back. "Well, I... don't know yet", the girl answered. "One of my father's friends, Dr Karfoux, offered me a place in his team." She moved uncomfortably in the chair, her eyes not meeting her teacher's. The professor kept silent for a few seconds, observing Elianor. When she had been assigned to him as an M.D. student, he was at first displeased, considering that the second daughter of the rich Freyssinet family would probably be a spoiled and uppity brat, just studying in order to wait for her parents to find the prefect husband - rich, famous, and influential. The childish allure of the girl, petite and anorexic looking, with those large questioning blue eyes and long curly red hair, didn't help much either. But he found out very soon that Elianor was an intelligent and hard-working pupil, appreciated both by the other students and her patients. He came to appreciate her energy and her thirst of knowledge; during those years, he had seen her grow into a more confident, mature, and positive person. But, when she broke up with her boyfriend a year before, she turned back to her old closed, sad and too meek state. He suspected that a very important pressure from her family was cause for the break; especially since the boy in question, Wes Meunier, was lunite, and left the university shortly afterwards. It was with a concerned voice that the old teacher continued. "So, you don't stay with us for a specialization? You know, Elianor, it's an extraordinary opportunity. Working in an average medical cabinet, however rich its clients are, is what every doctor can do. You can do more; you have the capacity to be an outstanding surgeon. And I don't say that to flatter you. You owe it to yourself to make the most of your abilities." Elianor looked at her teacher and mentor, his speech moving in her old feelings she tried to repress. "I haven't given an answer to Dr Karfoux yet. I'll tell you if I change my mind." She stood up. "When am I scheduled to defend my thesis, next Tuesday?" Mayherden smiled softly. "9 AM sharp; I'm sure you'll make me proud, Miss Freyssinet." He stood up too, walked toward her, and hugged her. It was surely a slightly comic and yet sweet image of this tall and bulky man, grayed by work, hands as large as hams, bending over the petite girl in a fatherly and tender fashion. "Take care, Elianor. I want you to think over what I just told you." Elianor nodded shyly, and walked hurriedly out of the office. ---- Celia waved at her friend, when Elianor entered the dressing room of the sport facility. "Hurry up, Liane! You need some practice, you old rusted girl!" Elianor couldn't help chuckle. Celia and she had been friends since high school; and when Celia entered the pharmacy school, they spent a good deal of time exercising and practicing martial arts together. "Rusted? You'll see in a minute if I'm rusted!" she joked. Swiftly, she put her combat outfit, a large black Aikido trouser with a white fitting top; and tucked her unruly locks into a braid. "Dare to try my new techniques, Cel?" she asked, once they were up on the tatami. "Sure, Liane!" Celia took a defensive stance. As much as Elianor was frail and pale, Celia was brown-skinned, with short jet-black hair - both features inherited from her Asiatic ancestors - and stocky. Someone had described her once as "A little round pottery jar"; but she was very agile, and her movements fluid. The two friends practiced together for a good while. Elianor was much stronger than her stature hinted, and had excellent reflexes, which matched Celia's power and swiftness. Elianor fought wildly, violently, not uttering a single word, her face locked in a tense and almost angry expression - as if she weren't training with a friend, but fighting a bitter enemy. A foot punch on Celia's side put her down, finally. They rested in the Jacuzzi after the fight. "So, Liane, what's up? You'll be a doctor next week?" asked Celia. "Yeah, I'll defend my thesis and swear my oath next Tuesday. Will you come?" Celia smiled. "Of course, I will! I'm not gonna miss that for the whole world! Are you a bit afraid?" she continued. "Why?" shrugged Elianor, munching one of her hair pins. "Dunno; you've been acting kind of... nervous, recently. Something is on your mind?" Celia's dark eyes studied her friend's face. Elianor sighted. "Professor Mayherden insisted that I accept the surgery residency. Father's already boasting around and telling everyone that I'm going to join one of the most prestigious practices, i.e. Karfoux's. I don't know..." Celia answered gravely "It's not up to them to decide for you, Liane. It's your choice, and only yours. Always remember that, and remember there may even be another path they haven't even thought about." "Another path?" Elianor looked inquiringly at her friend. "Or even a lot of other paths!" added Celia. "It's up to you to find them." "Sheesh, you're starting to sound like a mystic!" Elianor tried to joke, splashing the hot bubbling water around them with her feet. ---- In reality, Elianor did not have the heart to joke. Too many things were swirling in her head, too many questions she didn't want to face. In fact, there was mainly one big question, she thought. "What do I do now?" She sat down in one of the rusty chairs. At that time of day, the Luxembourg Garden was busy with people walking through it, mainly students from the nearby colleges and universities; but few people stopped to enjoy the setting. The sky, above the high skyscrapers of Montparnasse and Saint Geneviève, was bright blue, with only a hint of pink in the clouds indicating that evening was approaching. Luxembourg Garden and Castle had been created approximately 1,000 years ago by a French queen, Marie de Medicis, mother of Louis XIII. The little castle, which afterwards had served as the French parliament, had since long been destroyed; however, the garden itself miraculously had been preserved over the years. Of course, the original statues of famous women had been replaced by copies made of stronger material. But they still stood there, protecting silently the students, lovers and tourists alike. Even the rusty metal chairs and the little rotunda, in which musicians came sometimes to perform, seemed ancient. The garden was an oasis of peace and memories in this high-tech town. Elianor looked up at the statues. As usual, she nodded to the image of Blanche de Castille, mother of King Saint Louis, and protector of students. Many lunchtimes Elianor had spent under her statue, reviewing lessons and medical cases. Her gaze wandered and stopped on the graceful, renaissance-clad figure of Clémence Isaure, poet and muse. "And now?" she thought. Celia's words were too distinct in her mind, too clear, too bright, almost blinding. "It's your choice. There are a lot of other paths." Elianor had to admit that she had, until now, not even considered other alternatives. "Other paths... It's up to you" And what if she would go away? To travel, put some distance between herself and her home? To see new peoples, alien races, strange worlds... She smiled at the idea. But one needed money for that, at least to begin and all her money was really not hers, but her family's. There had to be a path, a solution. Her way. It was high time she did it her way. ---- And here she was, now, in the Earth-Mars shuttle, leaving for the Vanguard military academy. She passed her hand through the remains of her hair, the long cooper locks sacrificed for a regular crew cut. The feeling was strange, as was the too-stiff uniform she had been given, but what the heck. She chuckled, remembering the amazed look on her mother's face when she came home with her hair cut, and her father's fury at her decision. But, this time, they couldn't make her yield. Of course, she thought, her father would surely try to use his influence so that she'd been assigned to such and such post, after the formation, but it wouldn't matter any more. The only one to sincerely regret her departure had been her younger brother; when hearing the news, he had literally thrown himself into her arms, promising to come visit her. Of course, no one had been authorized to go with her to the spaceport. Her father had made sure they'd all be busy - and under his control - in some stupid meeting at that time. Her suitcase was nearly empty, just a few clothes, books, and personal items. Her mother had tried to stuff it with varied things, despite Elianor's attempt to make her understand she could only take what was listed on the recruitment papers, and somehow formal dresses would be rather useless in a military academy. But, emptying the drawers, Elianor had stumbled on an old souvenir, and that was the only personal property she'd taken with her. A pendant, a bee drowned in amber, a present from Wes, her former boyfriend. A good example of how stupid she had been to let other people decide for her. She fidgeted with the pendant. "Mars, here I come..." she muttered. "And from now on, I'll do it my way." Category:OtherSpace Stories